Gloaming
by i.forgive.you
Summary: Nahuel never wanted to leave his jungles, but to please his aunt, he'll do anything. Even if that anything includes dealing with a mind-reader he can't stand a girl he thinks is a complete idiot. But for every dark cloud, there is always a silver lining. He just has to find his.
1. Trains

**This story idea does not belong to me. Nor do the first six chapters. They belong to a girl who went by the username KhronosAbandonato. Unfortunately, she had to leave due to personal reasons and handed her account over to a friend of ours. She asked that I, however, take over her stories. She'll help as she can, but as of now, my hope is to stay as true to her ideas as I can. I hope that you all enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I wouldn't really want to own Twillight. Doesn't mean I can't write this though! And warning since Khronos told me she did have someone with this particular misconception: this story is not a Nahuel/Bella fic!**

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_**NAHUEL**_

Staring out of the window of the train, I knew what was coming. I knew what was coming and I hated it. I wanted to remain in my forests. That was where I belonged. It was where my aunt and I had always been safe. And now I was being forced to leave. I could understand the reason why but that did not mean that I liked it any more. If it were not for the fact that it was absolutely necessary for my safety than I would have refused.

I knew better than to refuse my aunt when she truly wanted something. I owed her too much to do that. It was the only reason that I was going to Washington in the first place. If it wasn't for her I likely wouldn't have been alive at all. The only relief I had was that she was coming with me. "Close the curtains Nahuel," she ordered in her soft, deep voice. I nodded in silence as I closed, first the door's shades and then the ones over the window before settling back down on the seat, my long legs pressed up against the wall as I stared at the little crack of the shades that allowed me to watch the landscape rolling past.

We had already been traveling well over a week and I was ready to be done with it. I needed the chance to run and to be free. I needed the chance to drink blood and not have to look over my shoulder wondering if someone would see what I was doing. I didn't care if it was human blood or animal blood, I just needed the ability to actually have a meal without the abject paranoia that someone would be watching me.

My lip snarled knowing that even when I was there, I would still be restricted. They would all say it was for my own protection, but I knew better. It also had to do with control. It was control that I would never have or be able to have. I sighed and shook my head. "Don't think about it Nahuel," my aunt said shaking her head.

I looked over at her. The week we had been traveling, I hadn't said a word to her. Then again, from the one hundred and fifty years that we had spent together, my aunt had come to understand that speaking was simply not a habit that I willingly participated in. Not normally at least. I looked down at the watch that we had bought for me somewhere in Texas and noted the time. It was another hour before we would arrive at the station we were going to be picked up from. It had still been uncertain at the time everything had been arranged who was going to bring us back, but we knew that someone would be there.

The knowledge provided me with no comfort.

"Get some rest Nahuel. We'll be there soon enough."

A soft snort was my only reply. Rest had never suited me well. I knew too much about when I had been a child. The memories were too stark and vivid, especially when I tried to do anything like rest. The human part of my being allowed me to rest in some ways, but I preferred to use my vampire half to not. That way I could pretend that I had forgotten the pain I had put my mother through before I died. My aunt and I knew the truth though.

I had killed my mother.

I had denied my father.

And soon my sins would be back to haunt me once more.


	2. The Mind Reader

_**NAHUEL**_

I looked up at the sky as we moved off the train and onto the platform just outside of Seattle, Washington. I could grant that I could smell the green life in the air, but it was not the same. The land here was cold and almost distant. It was not wild. There was a tamed aspect to it that I could not ignore. It was that tamed aspect that bothered me the most. The wild was not a place that you could tame. It was where you found truth and peace. My lip curled into another snarl as I pulled our trunks off with me allowing my aunt to step off of the train.

"Nahuel? Huilen?"

I turned slowly to face the voice, eyes narrowed in suspicion. I did not relax as I found myself looking at another male, a full-vampire if his scent said anything. His eyes were a bright kind of topaz that told me one very important thing: he was a vegetarian. "You must be one of the Cullens," my aunt said stepping forward. "I am Huilen and this is my nephew Nahuel. We thank you for your kindness."

A smirk touched the male's lips and I decided that I did not like him. No, it was more than that. I did not _trust_ him. This seemed like a man who was very ready and willing to do as he pleased despite the consequences if he felt it was necessary and his only judgment was the only one that counted. I was going to have to watch that one. "Yes, I'm Edward. Carlisle wanted me to let you both know that you are very welcome and that he's glad to have you. He's also sorry he couldn't be here, but he had to work."

"Work?" my aunt asked echoing my own thoughts.

"You'll find that we do things very differently around here. Carlisle works as a doctor at the hospital while Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and I all attend the local high school. Carlisle took the initiative and enrolled you as well Nahuel. Your last name is Carver. He's already spread around that Esme's sister and nephew are coming to stay with us for a time."

My eyes flicked to my aunt. She seemed perfectly relaxed with the whole situation which told me every thing I needed to know.

"You knew?" I asked in a quiet, swift whisper. She shrugged and I ripped my eyes away, my lips peeling back in a dark sneer. I hated secrets the most of all. This was the first one my aunt had ever kept from me.

"It's not so bad as all that Nahuel. Who knows, the education might do you some good." My eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as I stared down the other vampire thinking about ways to kill him. "I wouldn't try," he said shaking his head. "I'm damn fast."

With those words I made my mind go blank and watched the annoyance creep over the other male's face. Good. I now knew his gift and thus his weakness. I tucked away the fact to use later. I would not allow this boy to manipulate me. He would learn quickly that while he could play that game with others, he would never be able to play that game with me.

Edward reached forward and I allowed him to take my aunt's trunk. Most every thing the two large trunks was only a few weeks old. We had never needed muc, but before we had never lived amongst people for very long. Now was different. Now we would be forced to interact and be around them on a level that would be almost overbearing, especially with the known rules of the Cullens: no eating people.

My aunt and I would be able to take to it, of that I had no doubt. Though, for a time, it would be rather difficult for my aunt. After all, she had drank human blood without fail from the time that she had been made by me. I shook my head, trying to dispel the memory. The last thing I needed was for this mind-reader to have anything to use against me. And so, once more, I shut down my mind, refusing to allow him anything that was in my mind.

The vehicle he had brought was a large Jeep like vehicle that had small space in the back that allowed us to slip and secure the trunks in before the three of us moved ourselves in the vehicle, my aunt taking the passenger seat while I slipped into the back, not trusting myself so near to the other male. "How long is the drive?" she asked, settling back into her seat.

"With how I drive?" Edward asked quirking an eyebrow. Apparently he thought he was charming. What delusion was he under? "Not long." I snorted and shook my head, turning to stare at the green as it passed us by. I had the feeling that I was going to grow to hate Edward Cullen.


	3. The New People

_**BELLA**_

My first day of school felt like hell. I hated being the center of attention, but another part of me actually enjoyed it. I liked feeling their eyes on me and knowing that I was wanted, but it wasn't for the reasons that I wanted it and so I just wanted them all to stop. Unfortunately, they seemed to be excited about it. Especially since I was apparently the second new student within the last month. The fact that there had been another new student annoyed me.

Stepping into my Spanish classroom, I looked around seeing some new faces and one familiar one in the form of the brown haired, talkative girl who had been in my English class. Walking over to the woman who sat at the teacher's desk, I handed her the paper I was supposed to be handing out to all of the teachers. The woman looked it over before calling the class to order. I was getting really tired of this part, but I couldn't deny the little flutter of excitement that I felt each time they all looked at me.

"Class, this is Isabella Swan."

"Bella," I corrected quickly reaching up to brush a lock of my brown hair behind my ear.

"Of course," the woman agreed with a nod. A quick look down at my schedule named her as Mrs. Goff. I couldn't deny it was a weird name. "Bella, why don't you sit between Newell and-"

"Neuhel," the class corrected as if it was something they had had gotten used to Mrs. Goff saying the name wrong.

"Jessica. Will you two raise your hands?"

Only Jessica raised her hand making the guy on the other side of the empty desk next to her, Nahuel. I bowed my head as I moved down the aisle and took the chosen seat. I heard Jessica talking to me before my eyes flicked to the boy on my other side. He looked about my age with silky black hair, dark skin and rich brown eyes. He had an almost Native American or Latin look. He was sexy, but almost obvious in that sexiness.

I tried to ignore it as I looked forward and watched the class begin. I had never been really good with languages. Hell, I wasn't that great with most subjects. I could pass by things once I had learned them, but before that I was generally screwed. My greatest skills were cooking and housework, they were also the things I found most relaxing.

The class seemed to progress slowly with everyone stumbling over their Spanish as we tried to get through the class and to lunch. There were five minutes left before anything interesting happened. Mrs. Goff paused her pacing at the front of the class and pointed to Nahuel. "Can you tell me what the answer is?" she asked with her bright smile.

We all looked at him. He seemed to raised his head slowly, tilting it to the side. He seemed dark and dangerous as he examined Mrs. Goff for several long tense moments.

"_¿Por qué me preguntas si sabes que voy a ser un gilipollas y responder en español? La respuesta es "Pedro fue a la tienda de helados."._"

The whole class chuckled nervously and I realized that only Mrs. Goff seemed to know what he had actually just said. Looking forward at her I saw her smile falter before she nodded. "That's absolutely right!" she agreed before turning back to the board and started writing. "Alright class, I want you to do the exercises on page sixty-eight for class tomorrow. Class dismissed."

"That was pretty impressive," I said looking over at Nahuel as I stood up, picking up my bag.

He seemed to survey me carefully before shrugging and leaving the classroom without saying a word.

"Yeah, good luck with that one," Jessica said with a snort. "Nahuel Carver may be really sexy, but he never says anything to anyone unless they force himself to or if his family is talking to him."

"His family?" I asked looking back over at Jessica.

A smirk curved Jessica's lips. "You'll see," she assured me.

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**A/N: Nahuel is saying "Why ask me if you know you'll be an asshole and answer in Spanish? The answer is "Peter went to the ice cream store."."**


	4. Cafeteria Family

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Naheul, but I do own the plot and all its baby bunnies.**_

_**NAHUEL**_

Moving into the cafeteria I had to wonder why in the world I was forced to go to this place called a school. I had been there around two weeks and already I knew that I was going to hate every minute of it. Sure I was learning new things every day but that didn't make me like the forced socialization and dumbing down of my powers. It was true that I wasn't considered as powerful as a full vampire but I had learned how to hold my own against any that I had encountered. Apparently that still did not save me from the mundane and idiotic.

It was proven as I slid into what was becoming my customary seat between Alice and Emmett. Unfortunately for me, this seat was right across from the mind-reader. A mind-reader who was currently, and for some unknown reason, pining over a human girl who was, at best, mediocre looking. According to him it was simply her blood that drew him but I saw him looking at her too much for that. It was sick really. Couldn't he just keep it in his own kind? The last thing I wanted to see was another human screwed over by a vampire who got his kicks off by playing God.

And he wondered why he pissed me off.

"You look annoyed," Edward commented. Though why he couldn't just look my way and tell me that was beyond me. It was almost as if he thought he was simply too good to look at me. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the way he thought about it either.

"What can't you just read my thoughts and guess?" I sneered taking a sincere and perverse pleasure from the fact that he couldn't read them. It simply wasn't possible for him. I blanked out my mind too much. And it probably drove him up a wall which made me that much more pleased. It's the little things in life really. And this was one that I was going to take as much pleasure in as I possibly could.

The others gave Edward and me a look but then again, they were used to it by now. Or they should have been. We had been doing it almost constantly since we had first met. It was just a fact. We hated each other. I rather liked it that way. It made me feel a kind of peace to have someone so close who I could hate. Far more peaceful than when I was around my father or dealing with the whole reason we had had to leave home at all.

I sighed and looked away, running my hand through my dark hair. Screw this. Screw all of it, I wanted to say. I wanted to just leave. But I couldn't. I had promised her that I would stay. It frustrated me. I hated being forced to do something that I did not want to do and with good reason in my opinion. And even when there was a good reason my nature fought to rebel against it. Finishing off the food in front of me, I stood and looked away from the table. "I'll be back tonight."

"You can't just leave in the middle of classes," Alice objected grabbing my wrist. I looked back down at her and arched an eyebrow.

"Look," I explained with a sigh. "I just need to get out and clear my skull alright? I'm not used to being around people like you are. Besides, think about it this way. Now you get to have a clear head without me to fuck up your visions."

Alice opened her mouth before it clamped shut again and she nodded. I looked at Jasper and he tossed me his keys. Of all of them, I got along best with Jasper and Alice. Then again, it probably helped that they didn't seem to judge me like Edward and Rosalie did. Even Emmett was okay in his own way. Edward and Rosalie were enough to make me want to shoot myself. Though it wouldn't have done me much good. It would have just pissed me off even more and that wasn't the direction that I was looking for.

I stalked out of the cafeteria and moved over the side walks and open areas to the back of the school until I made it the woods before I started into a sprint, running to the house so I could commandeer Jasper's car. I was still going "vamp" speed when I slid into the car and started it forcing myself to wait as the garage door opened before I pressed my foot to the floor, taking in the feel of the squealing tires before I actually took off down the road anticipation feeling my very being. This was the closest to home that I could get and I took it when I had the chance, speeding down the road at stupid speeds that could easily get me or someone else killed. Alright, probably not me, but a guy could dream after so long of being alive couldn't he?

I let the hood down on the convertible and had to wonder at the fact that Jasper would even let me borrow his car considering he never drove it. I had yet to figure out why either. It was a damn good car after all and I couldn't deny that I enjoyed driving it given the chance as I was now. There was something about it that reminded me of running. It gave me a kind of freedom that I couldn't do without. It was probably the only thing beside my promise that did make me stay.

I shook my head as I steered the car onto the highway and started driving south. I'd get back eventually. Just wasn't sure when the hell that would be. Before the next day though.

My aunt would kill me if I wasn't.


	5. Runaway

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I hav****e no interest owning Twilight. I own my plot twists.**

_I wanted to send out a special thank you to **AntiSocialBookWorm** who was kind enough to comment on the first four chapters. I am so glad that you have enjoyed what has happened so far and I hope that you enjoy what is to come. Especially now that I've gotten around to figuring out the actual timeline for Twilight ._

_**A/N: The above note was a special thanks from Khronos that she asked me to keep and honestly, I am glad to do so because I know how much AntiSocialBookWorm supported her when she was trying to write this story.**  
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_**NAHUEL**_

I stared up at the house dreading going inside, knowing I would likely run into my aunt. It was not going to be a pleasant conversation. She would, no doubt, lecture me quite thoroughly. And it was not something I was looking forward to either. Sighing, I hugged myself and walked into the house silently. And yet, as I came inside, I found things far too tense to actually concern me.

I tilted my head to the side and my eyes flicked around the front room to find Alice and Jasper who were sitting off to the side whispering rapidly. I walked over to the couple, keeping my eye out for my aunt. "What happened after I left?" I asked arching a narrow, black eyebrow.

Jasper sat up and cleared his throat as he looked around. I held his keys out to him only to find him shaking his head. "It's not you," he assured me. "Edward..." he trailed off and mentally I supplied the words _the idiot_. "He's run off. We think he's headed to Alaska. Alice is trying to track him, but he's very pointedly _not_ planning," he explained.

I shook my head and looked out the window, leaning against one of the beams that stood to hold up the second floor. "Does anyone know why?" I asked with a sigh. From the sounds of it, Edward wasn't the kind to just randomly run off. That fact actually surprised me. I would have expected a man like him to come and go at his fancy. That seemed far more within his personality spectrum.

Alice and Jasper exchanged a look. "It's the new girl," Alice began. "They have a class together and something about it just seemed to set him off today. He's making the choices so...sporadically that I can't seem to follow along fast enough. Carlisle wants us to just leave him alone though."

I snorted as I looked away. "Yeah because letting him gallivant on his own is such a good idea," I droned.

"And why do we let you stick around?" I turned around and stared blandly at the blonde vampire who had come up behind me. I wasn't sure why Rosalie seemed to hate me, but I never let it show if it bothered me or not. I didn't like the thought of giving anyone any power over me.

Instead I smirked up at her. "Because of my charm and my stunning good looks." I heard Alice chuckle and out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn that Jasper smiled for about a tenth of a second. I ignored the disgusted look on Rosalie's face as I turned my attention back to Jasper and Alice. "So would anyone care if I ran off for a couple of days and brought back the wayward son?"

"Edward would," Jasper pointed out in a quiet voice. I was glad to hear the sound of a smile in his voice. It meant, at least to me, that he wasn't disapproving of the plan currently forming in my mind.

"_Except_," Alice said leaning forward. "I can't track you if you leave."

I flinched, hating the fact that she was right. And the whole reason I was even in the pathetic town of Forks, Washington was because I had to hide. Hiding did not include chasing after an idiot. And that fact disturbed me. I didn't want to hide. I didn't want to have to limit my life because I had made a childish mistake. It didn't quite seem fair to me even though I knew that in this world, fair didn't matter. Fair was a dream that did not and could not count. Thinking about it only ever made things worse. "Damn," I muttered in way of defeat.

"He'll come back," Rosalie said with absolute certainty. "You don't have to worry about that."

I resisted the urge to make a rude noise. Why would I worry about him coming back? The only reason I would even care would probably be if he exposed any of us. More importantly if he exposed me. I shuddered at the thought of it. If I was exposed, it wasn't just me or even my aunt who would be in danger. It would be the Cullens as well. After all, they were the ones housing us.

"He better," I muttered shaking my head. I forced myself to my feet and looked out the back. "I'll be upstairs," I informed them. The nice thing about the Cullen house was all the rooms inside. It was almost overwhelming but in a good way honestly. It meant that I could hide away. They knew not to seek me out. I had a feeling that one of them just seemed to know that that was what I needed. I moved into my room and bolted the door. Granted the fact that two of my four walls were windows wouldn't keep someone out if they wanted to find me, it still gave me a bit of a comfort to know that I would have some peace even for a few moments.

I pulled a small chest out from under my bed and simply stared at the worn wood and rusted metal. My fingers ran over the trunk before I snatched them away. I knew that I needed to look inside but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Even knowing what I would find, I couldn't look inside. Looking inside meant I would have to confess to what I had done. It meant that I would have to stop running and I couldn't bring myself to do that.

Instead I shoved the chest back under the bed and sat down staring into the trees. I just, I had to let it go. After a while, they would forget. They always did. And they would again. And Joham would forget too. I wasn't sure which I wanted more. Or if I wanted either. After all, I had lived with both my whole life. What would I do without such things? What life would I know or find?

I was afraid to find out.


	6. Not So Friendly Advice

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, just my plot and its silly little bunnies!**_

_My Dear BookWorm: I am so glad that you are enjoying Nahuel and the story. And don't worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for Nahuel and his family. And yay for the cookie! :D_

___**A/N: This was another comment that Khronos asked that I keep to AntiSocialBookWorm which I was glad to do! After this chapter however, all the work will be new and my own with input tossed in from Khronos whenever she's not dying from work and family.**_

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___**NAHUEL**_

I walked into Spanish class two days after Edward had left and had the feeling that I was being watched. It set me on edge in an instant. My eyes flicked around and I growled in frustration at the realization that it was the new girl. Why the hell was she looking at me? There was something about the girl that just seemed wrong. Something a little touched about her. That was really the only way that I could put it. She just seemed like the kind of person who would turn out a little crazy if everything came down to it. It made me want to avoid her. Especially with the growing number of male groupies that she was accommodating. I wasn't sure why. She wasn't even that pretty.

Moving to the back of the classroom, I sat and leaned back in my chair pointedly ignoring the rest of the class. I was hoping that the girl would take the hint. I was hoping she would see it as a sign. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be that lucky however and I soon found out that I was right.

"You know Edward, I mean Edward Cullen, right?" she asked.

I took my time, pulling my bag around onto the desk and taking out some of the supplies most people would normally need for this class before I deigned to look up. She was still there looking down at me expectantly. "Look, I know that I don't know you and that most people say you don't talk, but I just want to know where he is. I wanted to talk to him and I didn't see him today. Is he sick?"

I bit the inside of my lip hard to keep from groaning. I really wanted her to just shut the hell up. She was getting annoying. "I know him," I snapped. I usually tried to keep my tone flat. It allowed me to hide my accent that much more. Snapping like I did made the tell-tale sound of my accent come out that much more.

"Oh! That's great! Could you talk to him for me? I think there was a mis-"

"He's sick," I snapped before looking back up at her. "You can surely explain to him whatever misunderstanding that you believe you have had when he returns." I tried to keep my tone cold but it wasn't working very well. Instead I forced myself to look away. I didn't want to deal with her. I didn't want to deal with any of them. I would have much rather learned all of these things away from people. Being around such a large population seemed to simply make me irritable.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Esme begging for release from the school. I was certain this place was some kind of punishment. This place was like hell. It was a terrible and horrible nightmare realm from which the only escape seemed to be fully serving your sentence. I knew the likelihood of such a thing actually happening, but I was all for wishful thinking in this case. It was probably the only thing that was going to get me through the rest of the day.

I started to detach myself as the teacher called the class to order. This was probably the most ridiculous part of my day. It was also the easiest. That was probably why I hated it so much. I hated the fact that I had to pretend to learn something that I already knew. No, I had stopped trying to pretend after the first day. It wasn't worth the effort. My native tongue meant too much to me. In a place like this, it was the only thing that I had.

Tapping my fingers against the table, I stared out the window. I had long since learned not to flinch at the sounds of the terrible accents that radiated throughout the room. How this could be considered acceptable was still beyond me? They weren't even speaking the language correctly. Not in any form. I knew several dialects of my tongue and Portuguese as well. This was nothing like that and it was slowly driving me insane.

I needed someone besides the ever ridiculous Edward to speak my language with. Maybe I would ask Jasper. The former Texan might know a touch or two of the language that I so adored. I actually should have thought of it before. I shoved myself up as the bell rang, gathering my things back into my bag. I gritted my teeth as I realized that she was coming back to harass me again.

"So, would you like to sit with me today, I mean for lunch?" she asked.

I looked at her from under a thin curtain of black hair, my lips pursed in a thin line. "I sit with my cousins," I said, for once, managing to get my tone flat again.

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, hitching her bag further up her shoulder. "Well than maybe I could join-"

"Stop," I ordered holding up a hand. "Consider this a little bit of friendly advice," I said my tone losing its flatness once again. "Inviting yourself to a table of people clearly cut off from the rest of the school after only two days makes you seem a little desperate."

I took a twisted sense of pride in the fact that she was gaping at me as I walked out of the class. I really probably shouldn't have been such an ass. After all, I still had to put up with these people for another year and a half unless I could resolve other matters... such as if I was killed by the people who wanted me dead. But I wasn't the kind of person who was into pleasing people who considered me their enemy... and I had no particular interest in dying.

I left the classroom and couldn't help but smile as I made my way to the cafeteria. I had to admit. I was feeling a lot better now that I had put down the little brat as well as the fact that Edward was still gone. Now if only I was back in my country, I would count that as a great day.


	7. Some Women

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight. I do not wish to own Twilight. I only own this plot...and any random characters I throw in which is none yet.**_

**__****Author's Note: Alright, so I am sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I just moved two weeks ago and we had some issues with our internet getting set up properly. We now have it and thus do you have the first of my chapters! I hope you enjoy it!**

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_**NAHUEL**_

I suppose I should have felt guilty for being a dick but honestly I didn't know how. My guilt was too busy worrying about my own family and not some human who would forget about me in a few months. Especially not a girl who, at least in my opinion, was probably certifiable. "You could at least try to be nice to them," Rosalie hissed.

Turning towards the blonde I arched an eyebrow. "And you're such a shining example of kindness towards humans?" I shot back before shaking my head. Standing up, Standing up, I shot a quick, quiet comment to Jasper in Spanish before I started out of the cafeteria.

The Southerner nodded silently as I moved out into the open air. I had to force myself to keep at a human jogging pace as I moved across the campus. I was going crazy being constantly surrounded by what was normally my food and by people in general. I wasn't the kind of being who interacted often or even willingly. And doing it was slowly driving me to madness. I simply wanted to lash out and eat someone but I had been told that was forbidden.

I scrubbed a hand over my face as I rounded the last building only to have a human scent hit me hard. I had been careful about my interactions with humans before but this one had caught me off guard and all I could think was that this one smelled delicious. It was kind of like a guy coming off a forty-day fast. We were both lucky that I didn't just lunge forward and eat the human then and there. Instead I pressed a hand to my forehead and bit my lip hard trying to force myself to remain calm.

That wasn't working very well.

"Are you alright?"

I recognized the soft, female voice from my English class. I used that bit of knowledge to distract myself by finding her name in the meaningless list of names that had been shoved at me over the past month. "Whitney right?" I managed squeezing my eyes shut tight. There was the smell of fresh blood. She was either cutting herself or had managed to scrap something hard. I didn't want to see it, either way.

Seeing the wound would only tempt me that much more.

"Yeah, you know...you don't look so good."

Why did she have to keep talking? Didn't humans realize that sometimes it was best to simply walk away and leave things alone? No, of course they couldn't possibly realize that. Such a realization would have required a touch of intelligence on their part and since I was certain most of them were on the fast track to self-destruction anyway...

"Allergies," I snapped ducking away. I needed to clear my head, not try and make a snack of one of my classmates. The word brought a harsh laughs to my lips and sent the scent of her blood dancing across my tongue and drawing a moan from somewhere deep inside of me. I had barely broken into the trees when I took off as fast as I could.

I had fed just two days before but I needed more of the stupid quasi-blood if I was going to keep strong against the normal human diet. Personally I was all for chowing down on a human or two, but I had a feeling that my aunt would ally with the Cullens to kick my ass if I tried it. The scent of a deer gave me some hope as I moved towards it. I didn't bother with the pretense of a hunt. There was no skill or talent in killing a deer, but it was something to sate the thirst as I tore into it's jugular. I listening to it's gurgling and keening attempt at a cry for help that lasted only a few moments before it's life drained into my body.

I leaned back onto my heels and wiped the blood from my mouth before slowly crossing myself like I had seen so many men and women of my home do. "_Dios te lleve_," I whispered. _God take you. _I honestly wasn't sure if I truly believed in God, but it seemed the most appropriate thing to say. I stood up and felt my hands shaking. I clenched my fist as I looked down and saw that I had gotten blood onto one of my new shirts.

"_Usted no debe perder el control de esa manera,_" my aunt lectured my quietly. I turned slightly so that I could see her out of the corner of my eye. I shrugged as I stood up slowly. "_No me gusta que salir de la escuela tampoco. Usted está allí para su protección, no para su diversión._"

I snorted as I turned to face her fully. "_Quieres decir para mi castigo_," I snapped back before looking away. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "_¿Por qué no puedo salir? Estás a salvo aquí y no importa a nadie si me muero._"

"_Que me importa!_" she cried. She moved more quickly than usual as her rough hands clasped my face and forced me to look at her eternally frozen face. "_Eres el último que tengo de mi hermana y si me puede odiar por llevarla, a veces, a mi me gusta que Huapi. Nunca lo olvides._"

A wave of guilt tore through me as I looked away. "_Te amo demasiado tía. Y para ti yo viviré. Voy a tratar_," I agreed in a quiet voice. "I shall see you after the school let's out."

She nodded in agreement and slipped out over the woods. I slipped my hands in my pockets as I turned back towards the school. I would have to plead a nose bleed to explain the blood if anyone even asked. In all likelihood, it would probably just start a wildfire of rumors about me. Especially if Whitney spoke up about what she had seen. I flinched at the thought.

It really was too bad we couldn't kill humans to keep them silent.

* * *

**Author's Note 2: And thus do things get good. Just for those of you who don't know, Whitney is not of my creation. She is a minor character I have borrowed from ****_Midnight Sun_****. Aside from that, I thought I should explain the huge swatch of Spanish going on between Nahuel and Huilen. I use it because in Chile Spanish is one of the main languages (and thus the easiest for me to find and translate). In this case the conversation goes as such:**

****_Huilen: You shouldn't lose control like that. I don't like you leaving the school either. You're there for your protection, not for your amusement._

_Nahuel: You mean for my punishment. Why can't I just leave? You're safe here and it won't matter to anyone if I die._

_Huilen: I care! You are the last I have of my sister and though I may hate you for taking her sometimes, I do love you Nahuel. Never forget that._

_Nahuel: I love you too aunt. And for you I will stay. I will try._


	8. Back to School

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I don't want to own Twilight. Jeez, I don't even own any of the characters that have, thus far, been introduced. I simply enjoy toying with all of their lives and seeing how much I can screw everyone over... alright, maybe not everyone!**_

_****JustcallmeRiley;; I know, I'll admit I feel for him too, but I hope I can help him find happiness. That is if he cooperates._

* * *

_**NAHUEL**_

I felt absolutely no confidence as I moved back towards the high school. I felt defeated and depressed and alone actually. A part of me just wished that my past would catch back up to me and rip me to shreds. At least then it would all end. At least it was Friday. At least for the weekend I would be free from this particular hellhole. It wasn't too much of a comfort, but it was the only thing I had going for me at the moment so I was going to cling to it with everything that I had.

"You're back."

I turned, a little startled that someone had managed to sneak up on me. Whitney was standing clasping her books to her chest and just smiling at me. A large bandage had been pasted to the back of her hand and I was surprised I couldn't smell the blood until I remembered the stain on my shirt. "Nose bleed?" she asked.

I nodded quickly and looked away feeling flustered and a little confused. Most people had realized within the first five minutes of meeting me that I didn't want to talk to everyone else. And yet she just stood there was a big grin on her face while I looked away. Was this how human boys felt whenever girls spoke to them? If so it was no wonder they turned to drinking or whatever else gave them the courage to turn the tables. It was ridiculous!

"Well, be careful. And if it happens again, just come find me. I know a few tricks for stopping them."

Now I was just confounded. Why would a human girl want to help me? I knew that some girls had this belief that quiet, dark, mysterious guys were cool, but after having been in the school so long, I would have hoped that that assessment of me would have changed to that of: complete and utter ass. So why did this girl just stand there smiling at me. It was kind of like the first time I had met Carlisle and Esme. Honestly, those two terrified me more than anything. I didn't understand such kindness and forgiving. It was like socializing: too foreign for me to trust.

Instead I managed a nod before shuffling away.

Honestly, being talked to scared me. Never before in my life, had people willingly gone to me. I always hunted them and they seemed to realize that. It was as if they had always had some sense about me that I wasn't quite right. Even my aunt could go out and fool people into believing that she was human, that she was something that they wanted to be near. I had never bothered. I had always let people see that there was some kind of beast or monster in me. When I did that, people never got close to me. I could never miss them when they inevitability had to leave or die. So why couldn't this human girl be the same? Was she really so unafraid? So foolish?

I shook my head as I moved through the classrooms. I was supposed to go back to class, but I couldn't bring myself. Between the disgusted and horrified looks that the bloodstain was drawing and all the confusion swelling in my mind, I just wanted someone to talk to. I found it as I knocked on the door to Jasper's fifth period history class. Mr. Jefferson called out and I peeked into the room, trying to hide as much of the blood on my shirt as possible, though I knew the moment that Jasper smelled it.

"Jasper. Call. Now." Those were the only three words I got out as I managed to look as innocent as I could. Mr. Jefferson frowned at me, his eyes flicking to the slight corner he could see of the bloodstain and up to me with raised eyebrows in question.

I arched an eyebrow in return. The man sighed and shook his head. "Come back later for you assignment Mr. Hale," Jefferson ordered jerking his head towards me. I closed the door most of the way and leaned up against the wall next to it as I waited for Jasper to come out an join me. My hands were jammed into the pockets of my jeans. (Which brings me to another subject? Who in their right mind created jeans? Those things are the most uncomfortable type of leggings in existence!)

Jasper joined me a few moments later. As always, his movements were more slow and deliberate since we were still technically around humans. "What did you do?" he asked looking down at the blood. I caught the hungry look in his eyes and couldn't help but empathize. Even if it was just deer blood.

"Stress," I admitted with a sigh, scrubbing my hand over my face. I started to walk with him away from the classroom. Jefferson would likely call Jasper back in if he saw him just standing around outside. "Or a person. She'd scrapped her hand. Was being friendly. Had to get a snack."

The Texan nodded his understanding. I had a feeling he had been in similar situations, maybe even recently. Though Jasper had more control than I did, it wasn't by much. We both had a constant battle when it came to not eating everything that moved and breathed around us. "Why don't we talk about this by the car?" I considered that for a moment before nodding curtly.

We were both silent as we moved down to the parking lot, watching for people around us. One never knew when a human would decide to pop their head out and hear something they weren't supposed to or do something ridiculously stupid. I sat on the hood of the car and drew my legs up, resting my elbows on my knees while Jasper stood and watched me, waiting for me to speak. I was silent at first, trying to figure out how many words I would actually need to explain everything before I finally let it all out. I kept my sentences fragmented, as usual, but my point was made and I could see that Jasper realized that as well as I did.

"Whitney you say?" he asked arching an eyebrow. "Do you know her surname?"

I shook my head. "I'll find," I promised.

Jasper nodded a little absently again before giving me a pointed look. "And be careful. The last thing we need is to have you acting like Edward over a human." I snorted and gave Jasper a look that caused him to smirk. "I'm only joking... mostly."


End file.
